Tom Webb is in his third spell as Gloucester City captain and he’s enjoying every minute of it.

The one-club man, who has spent half his life in the first team after making his debut as a 16-year-old, was manager Tim Harris’s pick to skipper the side after he returned to take charge of the club over three years ago.

The central midfielder, who is closing in on a remarkable 700 appearances for the club, first captained the side when he was in his mid-20s.

Now 32, he has played a leading role as Gloucester have surprised many by securing a comfortable mid-table position in National League North.

“This is our best season since we won promotion to this division some eight years ago,” he said. “It’s the strongest group of players and the good thing is that the majority of them are local.

“That makes a big difference in the dressing room and the morale around the place is very good.”

Webb lives down the road from Gloucester in Churchdown with his wife Sam and children Amelia, five, and Harrison, eight months, and is a PE teacher at Chosen Hill School.

He played football for Gloucester Primary Schools and Longlevens before joining Gloucester City under-18s where he was fast-tracked into the side at the age of 15.

In his early years in the Gloucester first team his captain was fellow central midfielder Neil Mustoe, who is now coaching the club’s under-18s.

Mustoe’s leadership skills made a big impression on the young Webb.

“He was a good captain,” said Webb. “He had really high standards – the way he trained, the way he played. You always felt he was on your back, demanding more and more.

“I’ve taken a few of those traits.”

Webb is modest when asked what kind of captain he is, but when pressed said: “I try to lead by example. I try to set high standards in training and preparing for games.

“Now I’m one of the older players I try to be a positive role model, offer advice when it is needed and show the right traits when we lose.”

Webb is equally modest when asked to describe himself as a player.

“A box to box midfielder,” he said after a slight pause. “My energy and running capacity are my strengths. I’m not a goalscorer, I’m all about winning the ball and being ugly in the midfield.

“When I was younger I did have aspirations to play at a higher level but the standard in National League North is high and it’s the right level for me. I lacked the technical ability to play at a higher level.”

While modest about his own attributes, he was much more forthcoming about the impact manager Harris has had at the club, a man Webb refers to as “Mr Gloucester City”.

“The guy keeps this club going,” Webb said. “He’s the backbone of the club. It’s credit to him how well we’ve done, he organises everything.

“He’s created an environment where young players aspire to play at a higher level.”

Webb didn’t know Harris before he took charge of the club. “I remember playing against his teams – Merthyr Tydfil and Newport County,” he said.

“He always had a presence on the touchline. I was aware of him but didn’t really know him at all.”

So will Webb be tempted to follow Harris and his former captain Mustoe into coaching and management when he does finally hang up his boots?

“You never say never in football,” he said, “but at the moment that’s not the plan.”